A New Life
by chloe-bug
Summary: After discovering something horrible, Rachel is back home. And she's going to need her friends. T because you never know.
1. Chapter 1

**First attempt at a Glee story. I tried to keep them as in character as possible, but this chapter is very rough. I wrote it in a couple of hours, and I just wanted to see what kind of responce it would get before I put _too_ much effort and love into it. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Please! Yeah right!**

**October**

* * *

She was blinking away tears as she folded a top she deemed worthy to bring, when Justin stormed in.

"Rachel, please stop packing." He said calmly. "I know it's a shock, but, sweetie, it won't happen again! I promise."

The tears did fall then. Rachel zipped up her last suitcase and turned to her husband. "I'll send for the rest of my stuff as soon as I get settled into a new place. Until then, I will be staying with my fathers." Hitching the strap of her bag higher on her shoulder as she walked past him and out of the apartment.

* * *

When Stan Berry opened his front door he expected the pizza guy with dinner. What he didn't expect was his daughter standing on his doorstep, six bags sitting around her and two more on each shoulder, tears streaming down her face.

"Angel, what's wrong? Frank!" He called back inside. He rushed over to his baby girl and pulled her to him tightly. "Angel, come here. Tell me what's happened. Frank! Rachel Barbara Berry. You will tell me what happened to put you in this state right this instant! _Frank_!"

"_What_?" When Rachel's dad finally reached the door he was already agitated, and as soon as he saw his husband clutching tightly to his baby, he wanted to murder whoever had made her cry hard enough to have to fly all the way home.

* * *

Rachel had been staring at the ceiling in her darkened room, trying to figure out what to do next when there was a knock at her door. And it just proved how pathetic she was when she couldn't even muster up the energy to tell her parents to just go away and leave her alone.

There was another brisk knock and then nothing. Just as Rachel was about to close her eyes and go back to sleep, her door flew open. The sound the door made when it collided with the wall made her sit up and stare at the person standing there in shock.

"Rachel Berry, you have been Carrie Bradshaw-ing it for two weeks now according to your dads, and I have to say I'm _very_ disappointed in you! How could you not have called me? I would have come here to help you plan your revenge." Kurt smirked and Rachel fell back into her pillows.

"Go away Kurt." She whispered, looking back up at the ceiling.

Kurt glared at her – not that she saw – and walked with purpose over to the windows. He pulled back the curtains and drew the shades up with a snap, filling the room with light. Rachel sat back up, hair falling into her eyes as she glared back at her friend.

"How did you even find out?" She asked harshly as she pushed her greasy hair out of her face. She knew her father's wouldn't have told anyone without asking her first and she hadn't spoken since she told them, and _he_ – she couldn't even think his name – had never like any of her friends. They held her back he said.

Kurt turned back towards her and smiled softly. "It's all over the papers. The amazing Rachel Berry Barnes and the handsome Justin Barnes Splitting Up? That was the headline I saw while standing in the checkout line at the grocery. Can you imagine the heart ache I felt when I saw it?" Seeing her disbelieving look, he left _his_ heart ache out of it and focused solely on hers. "Anyway, I called Tina and Artie and activated the phone tree. So in short: Everyone is here. Get," He gave her a disgusted look. "Showered and dressed. We'll see you down stairs."

Rachel was already in a bad mood, so having Kurt order her around didn't sit well in her belly.

"I don't feel like going out."

Kurt's soft eyes hardened as he scowled at her. "Rachel Berry!" She was grateful he hadn't used _his_ last name with hers again. "The sun is bright, birds are chirping, and you have friends sitting down stairs making awkward conversation with your dads. You need to get showered. You need to get dressed. You need to come down stairs. You need to get over it. And you _need_ to star by getting the _hell_ out of bed!" Kurt took a deep breath after his little speech, and swept towards the door. "And you _better_ not change into sweats."

And then he was gone.

No, being ordered around didn't sit well in her belly, but maybe she would find some TUMS in her medicine cabinet. Kurt was scary when he needed to be.

* * *

**Well, how was it? Good? Bad? I like flames just as much as compliments. They fuel my desire to be better. **

**Hope you're all well,**

**October**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I promised some people an update today, and here it is. I hope it's up to par.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the story line, Justin, Katie, and anyone else you don't recognize. And trust me, later on there will be a few people you don't.**

**October**

* * *

When Rachel finally made her way down stairs, she was already exhausted, so she really hoped everyone that came would say their 'I'm sorry' s quickly so she could go back to her nice dark room and soft bed. Just before she turned into the living room, she heard her pop (Frank) quietly telling everyone about the state she was in when she showed up on their doorstep, and her daddy (Stan) loudly interrupting when he got something wrong or forgot something.

Peeking her head around the corner, Rachel watched as her pop gave her daddy a look before turning back to Finn and Quinn who were sitting across from them on the couch, listening intently and holding hands. Mr. Shuester and Mrs. Pillsbury (she had kept her last name) sat in matching chairs next to each other, while Kurt wandered around looking at the many pictures adorning the wall. Artie's wheelchair sat next to the couch and Tina sat on the floor in front of him. Mercedes was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and face fixed in a scowl. Rachel knew Mike, Santana and Brittany were on tour (back-up dancers) and Matt was in Italy so they weren't able to make it, but she knew Puck still lived in Lima so he could help Finn and Quinn with Katie, and yet, he wasn't here.

"Aunt Rachel!" Speaking of Katie. "I missed you _sooo_ much! Mommy said that as soon as you came down we were going to go to lunch! And now you're here, so we can go out to lunch! Did I tell you I missed you? Because I did! Did you bring me a present? You always bring me presents! My friend Alyssa was _sooo_ jealous when I showed her necklace you got me last time! I wear it _all_ the time! So did you bring me a present?" The green in Katie's brown eyes stood out as she stared at Rachel in excitement.

"Um, Katie, I didn't really have time to stop for a present, but I promise, next time I'll get you something great. Okay?" Rachel must have looked stunned as she stared at the little motor mouth. Thankfully, Quinn stepped in.

"Katie," She began, using the same tone of voice as Rachel's daddy when he was warning her to stop talking. "What have I told you about asking for presents?"

Katie's blonde head turned quickly to look at her mother. "Not to." She said not quite getting why her mommy was asking such a silly question.

Finn smiled goofily. "What she means kiddo, is that you should say you're sorry to Aunt Rachel." Quinn glared at her husband for interrupting the lesson she was about to teach her daughter. Finn looked down. "Sorry."

Quinn smiled at her husband before turning back to her daughter. "Besides sweetie, you are going with Miss. Emma back to her and Mr. Will's house until your father can pick you up."

Katie pouted at her mother. "Why can't I come?"

"Because it's a grown up lunch." Was Quinn's answer.

"Miss. Emma's a grown up. Why doesn't she get to go?" She smirked thinking she had won and was going to go with.

Quinn smirked back. "Because the baby makes Miss. Emma tired. And you don't want Miss. Emma and the baby to get sick, do you?" The little girl glared at her mother before turning back to Rachel.

"I'm sorry Aunt Rachel. I can't come with you. I have to help keep Miss. Emma and the baby healthy."

Rachel smiled at her, and the looks she was getting from everyone proved that they knew it was fake. "That's fine Katie. We'll spend time together before I leave."

* * *

Now she remembered why she never wanted to have lunch with more than two (or three, depending on who it was) of her friends at a time. It was times like these she really wanted Puck around to tell them all to back off (even if he was going to corner her later and demand the whole story), or Mrs. Pillsbury (even if she would _very_ strongly suggest Rachel tell her everything just so she wouldn't have to deal with it by herself). In fact, maybe they weren't the best people to have around.

Thankfully, Mr. Shuester had told everyone to hold off on the questioning until the food got there, but their waitress was walking back, two more girls following her with their food. Rachel really hoped that one of them dropped something so she could put off answering until _everyone_ got their food.

As soon as the waitresses were out of earshot Mercedes started talking. "Girl, you better tell us what got you so worked up to have you fly all the way back from the big NY." Everyone nodded but Finn who was staring at his phone.

"Wait." He said as Rachel started to panic. "Puck got out early and he wants us to wait for him."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Forget him. I want the details now."

"No." Mr. Shue spoke up. "We'll wait."

Okay. Maybe Puck wasn't _so _bad.

* * *

By the time Puck had gotten to the restraint, ordered, and gotten his food, everyone was half done eating. Except Rachel who kept pushing her food around, not talking or making eye contact with anyone.

"Okay." He said, picking up his fork. "What was so important that I had to rush out of work to eat with all of you?" He looked at Rachel. "What? Did you get a bad manicure? Did someone give you a bad review? What? What was _so _important that you had to call us all here?"

Rachel barley glanced up from her plate to look at her friends. "Justin and I are getting divorced." Silence. She looked back up and stared at Puck with a blank expression. She couldn't even glare and be mad at him. "And I never called anyone. Kurt saw something on the cover of a magazine and figured I would be with my parents. I was more forced into this than you were, believe me."

No one said anything after a few moments, so Rachel grabbed her purse and pulled out her part of the bill and tip and set it down on the table before standing up. "Good bye. I will see you all before I leave." As she turned to leave she called back. "Quinn. I will call you to set up a day to spend some time with Katie."

Everyone watched as Rachel walked out of the restaurant, before everyone turned to glare at Puck. So when he finally turned away from the door and he saw all the looks he was getting, he frowned.

"What?" He continued to eat his food, not paying attention to the others.

"Why would you act like that to her?" Mercedes asked wishing she wasn't sitting on the other side of the table so she could smack him in the head.

"Ever since I started talking to her, I've talked to her like that." Was his response.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but you could have been nicer to her. Especially since she told us she's getting a divorce."

Puck glared right back at all of them. "How was _I_ supposed to know she'd drop the big D word on us?" He took another bite and then muttered, "Besides, it's not like we all didn't see it coming."

"Shut up, Puck." Artie bit out. "No one saw this coming but you. And the only reason you're in that state of mind is because you and Rachel hate each other."

"Actually," Quinn piped up. "I saw it." Everyone gaped at her. "I totally thought it would be a Britney Spears wedding. But when they hit that two year mark, I have to say, I was shocked."

Everyone sat quietly before Will spoke up. "Well, I have to get back to Emma. Puck you want to come with so you can get Katie?"

Puck took a last sip of his drink. "Yeah, sure." He stood up with his former teacher and went to leave when Tina grabbed his arm.

"Apologize to her. Please." She spoke softly and gave him a look, knowing he would.

Puck shrugged. "Whatever."

* * *

**Well? Did I do good keeping everyone in character? I modeled Rachel's parents after my mom and pop, and Katie is named after a cousin and acts like my youngest sister, so please don't be mean about them. Oh! I meant to mention this in my last chapter, but I try not to use vulgar language, so I hope that doesn't dissapoint you. **

**So, tell me what you think!**

**Hope you're all well,**

**October**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay everybody, here is chapter 3. I know it's short but it's 2 in the morning and I'm tired. i promise to make up for this lack of a good chapter, I will be fully awake and make it extra long. And so far my word has been golden. . . I think. :) Anyway, Please tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: Only the story is mine. The town of Lima and all inhabitants you do recognize are not mine. The inhabitants you don't recognize however _are_ mine. **

**October**

* * *

Noah Puckerman, as a rule, didn't get upset over things. Especially not things involving Rachel Berry Barnes. Or, he guessed, just Berry now. Anyway, that wasn't the point. The point was: He didn't get upset. So why was he upset that Will wasn't talking to him? Maybe he should say something? Just as he started to talk, planning on defending his earlier actions (he so would have won) Will pulled the car over and rolled down Puck's automatic window. Puck glanced to his right and sighed. Of course he would offer her a ride.

"Hey, Rachel!" He called. The 27 year old woman still jumped as high as she did when she was a 16 year old girl. Puck rolled his eyes. Some things never change.

"Hello Mr. Shuester." Yes, some things never change. Kind of like Rachel's inability to call their _ex_ Spanish teacher and Glee 'coach' by his name, even though they were social equals. Her more so than him probably, because she was famous, and he just took time off from his job to help Emma. But Puck would never admit that.

"Do you want a ride home?" Will asked politely, feeling bad for the girl. "Your parents' house is on the way, so it wouldn't be a problem."

Mr. Shuester looked so hopeful that she would accept his help, no matter how little, and even in her numb state, Rachel couldn't bring herself to upset the man that had helped her become a star (though she did most of the work.)

Rachel gave a quick spastic nod of her head and climbed in the back seat. "Thank you very much, Mr. Shuester."

It didn't escape Puck's notice that she hadn't even acknowledged him yet, but he stayed quiet.

"No problem, Rach." Will gave Puck a sly look (and it made him more than a little nervous) before speaking again. "So Rachel, did you know that I've taken time off from my job to help Emma?" She made a noise confirming she didn't. "Yeah, this baby is just taking so much out of her. But, thankfully Puck has taken over my Spanish class." He paused and looked at Puck's horrified face. "And Glee Club."

Rachel gasped. Handing Noah Puckerman Glee Club was like handing a gorilla a baby. You just didn't.

Puck glared at the man sitting in the driver's seat next to him. If Will didn't have his life in his hands he would have been out the door before he could have spoken.

"But _why_?" Puck and Will looked back at Rachel. Those were the first words she had spoken with feeling since they had each seen her for the first time, and it made Puck kind of grateful to Will that he had told her (another thing he wouldn't admit.)

"Why would you hand over something as important as Glee Club –something that could make someone a _star_ – to Noah?" Oh, how Puck already wished for the catatonia to return.

Will smirked. "Are you offering to help him?"

Puck watched as her eyes grew. "Well, no, but -"

Their former teacher cut her off. "This works out perfectly! And Mrs. Anderson just retired, so I'm sure you could get her job with no problem!" Mrs. Anderson was the 65 year old music teacher who hated kids and music. "And you've got someone right here to give you a great recommendation!"

"I don't really think I'm qualified to do something like that though." She said, lying through her teeth. Even Puck knew she had gotten her teaching degree in music because of him. And while he really hoped she would stick to her guns, he figured if he encouraged it, it would count as an apology and he wouldn't have to say sorry.

Will looked at her in the rear view mirror as he pulled off to the side of the road again. Huh. When had they even entered her neighborhood?

"Rachel," He began in his teaching voice that he knew she listened to. "Both of us know that you're not going back to New York for a while. So why don't you stay here, and teach something you love until you're ready to go?" They could both see her wavering in her decision, so Will upped the ante. "Who knows? You could help create the next big star."

Puck found it unsettling that the man knew them all so well, he could make them do anything he wanted.

* * *

**Well? Love it? Hate it? Tell me. I had one person mention my spelling and I loved that! If you're not honest with me I can't fix things! So I sincerely thank you hhh569. I tried to catch any mistakes, but like I said before, it's late. More in a few days! **

**Hope you are all well,**

**October**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everybody! I actually kind of like this chapter, even though it gets a little rambly in parts. And, yes, I know Puck is _way_ out of character, but the reason why is mentioned in this chapter and will be fully explained in the next. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the story line and the characters you do not recognize. **

**October**

* * *

Rachel had thought that after living in New York City for so long nothing could make nervous about standing in front of people any more. But these weren't people. These were teenagers. The only person younger than herself that she got along with and didn't freak out was Katie, and Rachel knew that was because before she moved away she would babysit her niece once a week so Quinn and Finn could go out. Rachel was immensely pleased when she found out that Katie liked to hit the piano keys. The girl could play Imagine when she was four. And then she cried when she learned her 'favorite little diva in the whole wide world' couldn't sing.

Anyway, back to teenagers. They were cruel and mean, and just plain scary. They always knew the perfect way to get under your skin, and the insult that would cut you the deepest. High school had been some of the worst years in her life, closely following this one. Why hadn't she stood up for herself and told Mr. Shuester no.

'Because he's doing it for your own good.' Her inner voice rationalized. 'But that's also what he said when he gave the lead you wanted more than anything else to Tina.' Her more prominent diva side argued.

"No." She spoke aloud. "Mr. Shuester believes in you. You should believe in yourself."

She threw up five minutes later.

* * *

"You can do this. You can do this." It was like she was a broken record or something. "You can do this. You can do th -" Rachel was interrupted by a tap on her window, causing her to scream. Glancing up she saw Puck standing there laughing at her reaction.

As she stepped out of the car, purse in hand, Puck spoke. "Whose car is this?" He asked looking at it.

"My pop's." Rachel replied shortly. "Was there a specific reason you decided to scare me half to death?"

Her glare proved that she was already getting better. Puck expected to have a headache by the end of the day. "Why are you using his car?" He asked, trying to steer the conversation away from her question. They started to walk towards the front door of the school.

"Well, I couldn't _walk_ home all the way from New York, could I?" She rolled her eyes.

Puck held the door open for her. "Don't you have a car?" She did drive in high school didn't she?

"Why would I?" She asked confused. She moved closer to Puck trying to avoid the students and random teachers. "Pop always dropped me off in the mornings while I was in school and daddy got out of work in time to pick me up. And in the city, you can get a cab to take you anywhere." Rachel turned and pressed her back to Puck's arm to keep from bumping into a student about four inches taller than her. The long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and the cheerio uniform made her do a double take to make sure it wasn't a 17 year old Quinn.

"Who was that?" She asked. Maybe she was a distant relative of Quinn's?

"Hmm?" Puck glanced back at the student in question than smirked when he noticed who it was. "That's Angel." He looked back at Rachel who was staring at the girl and not watching where she was going. "No, she's not related to Quinn. But that's her twin brother Mason," He pointed to a boy standing with a bunch of other guys and a small girl. "And that is their younger step sister, Mia."

Mason was slightly taller than his twin, but they had the same blonde hair and blue eyes, and Mia was a bit shorter than Rachel with dark hair and green eyes. Mason had his arm thrown around the younger girl as he laughed at a joke one of his friends told him, and Mia leaned into his side with her nose in a book.

"Mia's dad was never part of the picture, and her mom died last year. Since she has no other family, her step dad didn't want her in foster care, so he adopted her." Rachel looked up at him and he shrugged. "I don't get it either. They were only married for a couple of years and he was always traveling, so it's not like he was close to her. But I guess Mason and Angel threw a fit when they thought she was going to be taken away."

They stopped outside a door Rachel remembered lead to the music room. "Well, here you go." Puck turned to her. "Good luck or whatever." He pulled the door open for her and nodded his head towards the room. "See you for lunch?"

Rachel stopped halfway through the door and looked back at him. "You don't have to be nice to me." Puck's eyes widened as he stared down at her. Before he could deny anything, Rachel spoke again. "I know the others must have been hard on you because of how you treated me the last time we spoke, but in your defense you didn't know about what was happening in my personal life as we only talk when I come to visit, and even then it's about work, our friends, or Katie."

Puck nodded, not knowing what to say to that. "Right. . . So, lunch?" He figured it would be extremely rude if he took back the offer.

Rachel smiled and nodded. "Sure. I'll see you later."

When she went to close the door behind her, he stopped her. "Hey, Berry." She looked back at him. "The bathroom is right down there if you need to throw up." He said as if speaking to a three year old.

Rachel glared at him as she shut the door in his face. His roar of laughter caught more than a few people by surprise.

* * *

Rachel walked slowly over to the desk. She set her purse down and took a seat, thinking about how horrible it was that Noah Puckerman knew exactly how she was feeling. But now she was determined to prove him wrong.

She was Rachel Barbara Berry. A _star_. Who was _he_ to question her?

Then the first students walked in. She quickly stood up and walked briskly to the door. "I will be right back. Please, take your seats and converse quietly amongst yourselves." As she walked out she brushed against a girl walking in, her curly blonde hair hitting Rachel in the face as they passed each other.

The blonde walked in and sat next to her best friend. "Hey Liam. Who was that?"

Liam glanced up from extra credit math work he was doing to look at Peyton. "Hey. I think she might be Mrs. Anderson's replacement."

Peyton stared at him for a moment. "What do you mean 'replacement'?"

"Mrs. Anderson retired, Peyt." Liam said patiently, tossing his ear length red hair out of his eyes.

His best friend continued to stare at him with her large dark eyes. "Oh." He knew she hated it when she was the last to know something. "How long do you think this one will last?" She asked tying her hair back, a few stray curls framing her face, while the last of the students walked in.

Liam shrugged. "I don't know. She looked pretty freaked out when she ran out of here."

Mason leaned back in his chair and turned his head to look at the two of them. "I saw her walking in with Mr. Puck earlier. And they seemed to have known each other pretty well."

Peyton glared at him. Even though he had apologized a hundred times since he joined Glee, she just couldn't forgive him for the slushies he had thrown in her face for the first two years of high school.

"So?" She bit out. Liam glanced over at her to make sure she wasn't going to attack the boy seated in front of him.

Mason rolled his eyes at the girl. He was so over her attitude. At first it was understandable but now it was just annoying. "So," he repeated. "You have to be tough to be friends with Mr. Puck."

"Puck and I aren't friends." Came a soft voice from the door. Everyone turned to see a small woman leaning against the door frame arms crossed as she stared at the three students who were talking about her. "We are merely acquaintances."

The class started to smile when they saw Mr. Puck walk up behind her. "Thanks Berry." Rachel jumped and spun around to see Puck standing there. "Come on." He walked past her and up to the front of the room, Rachel following behind him. "Peyton, Liam, stand up." They did so. "Peyton. Who's your best friend?"

Peyton's eyes widened and she stood up straighter. "You are, sir."

Puck smirked and Rachel let out a small smile at the girl's response. "Liam. Who is your best friend?"

The boy in question looked away from Peyton rolling his eyes. "Peyton is." He answered his Spanish teacher.

"And what do we do to people who are mean to our best friends?" Puck asked him.

Liam shrugged. "Kill them?" He asked, causing the whole room to laugh, including Puck and Rachel.

Puck nodded at the boy. "All right. You two can sit back down." While they did that, Puck turned his attention to the rest of the class. "All right guys, this is Rachel Berry. Ms. Rachel to you. She is my _best _friend. Be mean to her and die." The class laughed again. Puck turned to Rachel and smirked at her surprised expression. "Saw you come out of the bathroom, and figured that you were freaked. Thought you could use some help." He shrugged.

"Well, thank you very much Noah," She said with a small smile. "But we will be talking about that 'friend' bit at lunch."

* * *

**What do you think? Please let me know. Let's play a game of spot the scene. Can you name the reference? So, I will be gone for a while. My birthday is on the 22 and then Christmas on the 25. And believe me when I say Christmas is very big with all of my families (six houses in one day.) Anyway, wish me luck in not going crazy! **

**I hope you're all well, and that you have a great holiday. **

**October**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everybody! I hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I did. :-) So, I've had this chapter done for a while and it's been killing me that I couldn't post it! I know it's a little boring but the next chapter will be better (I hope.) Anyway, I need you to tell me what you think (hint: review!). Any questions are welcome. **

**Disclaimer: Anything or anyone you do not recognize is mine, including the story line. Other than that, I own none of this. **

**Also, I try to respond to any reviews I get, but I can't always remember whick ones I've already done, so I want you all to know I really do appreciate the fact that not only are you reading my story but that you're taking the time to review it. So, thank you. **

**I hope you're all well and had a nice and safe holiday!**

**October**

* * *

Rachel waited in the classroom for Puck to show up. She had been sitting there doing nothing for two hours, and all she had to read were the posters that had inspirational messages on them. She'd have to remember to bring a book and a boom box for the next day.

She walked around the room, remembering when she had sat at these same desks, when the desks were pushed to the side so the bleachers could be pulled out. When all she had to worry about was avoiding a slushy to the face and her career. Her life was so much simpler looking back. If only she had relaxed a bit more. All that stressing couldn't have been good for her health.

Hmm. Maybe should take her own advice now. Walking around the room another time she stopped at the desk a certain student had sat in during her second class. Serena Something or Other. Very quiet and sweet, but she reminded Rachel of Puck immensely. Her long straight dark hair was pulled back at the sides with a clip, and her dark green eyes challenged anyone who questioned one of her answers.

Did Puck have any relatives at the school? She knew he had a sister but Rachel had never met her. Rachel sat down in the seat and sighed. Why should she care if this girl was Puck's sister or not? It didn't directly affect her, so she shouldn't worry about it. Right? What if Serena _was_ Puck's little sister and Rachel had to yell at her or something worse and then she got into a fight with Puck and then all of their friends would be forced to take sides, which meant Rachel would be losing friends and Rachel couldn't handle losing more people she loved.

Wow, Mercedes was right. She did over think things.

"Hey, Crazy Girl." Rachel jumped in her seat and looked towards the door. Puck stood there smirking at her. If he scared her one more time, he'd beat his personal record. "I think you've got this whole teacher/student thing backwards. Come on. Let's go get lunch." Rachel didn't move from her seat, but instead continued to stare at him. Puck rolled his eyes at her. "Come on! Unlike you, I have more than three classes, so I have to be back in an hour."

Rachel stayed seated. "How old is your sister?" Was all she said.

Puck stared at her. The things this chick came up with! "She's seventeen."

She nodded and then asked for her name, wishing once again that Mrs. Anderson had left a list of more than just first names. Puck shrugged at her. "Her name is Serena. Are you okay? Or are you suffering from some sort of traumatic event?" He paused as Rachel gave him a strange look he couldn't decipher.

"No." Rachel replied after a moment, denying anything wrong. Though he was right on the money. "She sits here during my second class." She tapped a single finger on the desk top, nail making a soft tapping sound.

Puck raised his eye brows. "Really." He stated. He didn't know his baby sister was in a music class. Rachel nodded again. "Well, is she any good?"

Rachel shrugged as she stood up and they walked out of the class room. "How would I know? We've only just begun their training."

He blinked. "They're not dogs, Berry." He pulled open the door for himself (he hoped that if acted as normal as possible, she would forget about the 'talk' she wanted to have) but Rachel rushed through before him. Puck rolled his eyes and followed her out. "Come on. We'll take my car." He started heading in that direction and Rachel walked after him.

Rachel rolled her eyes as she opened the passenger side door and slid in. "I know they're not dogs Noah! When I said 'training' I simply meant the start of their growing knowledge in the arts!" She could make even a music class sound boring. "And what happened to your other . . . thing?" She would hardly call that death hazard a vehicle.

"My _truck_ didn't have a back seat and I needed one for Katie's car seat." He pulled out onto the main road and spared her a glance. "How did you not know this?" The conversations that took place after he traded his 'baby' for something safer for his baby had lasted for months.

Rachel shrugged. "I guess I never paid attention to the vehicle you drove. Quinn always has a safe car and Finn isn't allowed to drive and Quinn would always drop Katie off at your house, so I never needed to worry about who she was traveling with."

"Well, I got it a few months after she was born." He looked around for a place to eat. "Where do you want to go?" He hoped she picked Shell's Diner. They had the best fries.

"Where ever is fine." She decided to forget about the car issue. While Puck parked in front of some kind of diner Rachel tried to figure out how to go about the discussion she wished to have with him.

* * *

"Thank you." Rachel copied Puck as the waitress set her plate of 'the world's most awesomest fries (Puck's words. Not hers)' down in front of her. She planned to take a few bites and then forget about them.

She waited until Puck had taken a bite of his burger before speaking again. "I thought Finn was your best friend." Puck froze for a second before resuming his reach for the ketchup, ignoring her. "Out of all the people you know, I figured I was the very last person you considered a friend."

Puck rolled his eyes and set down the fry he was about to eat. "Okay, first: That would be Mrs. Hall in the library. I don't know why they keep her." Puck shrugged. "Second: Finn_ is_ my best friend. Which brings me to third: You are one of Finn's close friends, which means that I should make sure you aren't massacred by a bunch of teenagers. And fourth: Since I have to watch out for you sometimes, that means you're closer to the top of my list of friends.

Rachel picked up a fry and popped it into her mouth so she could think before responding. Wow. Those _were_ the world's most awesomest fries.

"That still doesn't explain why you've been holding open doors for me, and driving to places, or why you walked me to class, when you know very well that I remember the school."

Puck shrugged again. "It's like you said. The others were being hard on me because of how I treated you the day you told us you and Jus-" He must have seen her wince when he stared his name and quickly corrected his mistake. "Him were getting a divorce." They stayed silent for a moment, eating so they could think and make it back to work on time. Puck cleared his throat. "So, since I, I don't know, 'defended' you this morning, can you tell me what happened to make you want out of your marriage and come all the way back to Lima?"

Rachel stared at her empty plate. "I'm done. Let's start heading back." She pulled out her part of the check and tip and put it down on the table and Puck copied her this time and he followed her out of the diner.

* * *

The ride back to the school was a silent one. Puck was angry that he still didn't know what was going on and Rachel trying not to cry. She was a strong independent woman. She didn't need a husband who would treat her like that. Besides, she was doing something good by helping out these kids! What was she really doing in New York that made a difference to anybody? Directors could _always_ find another girl who could sing (though not as good as Rachel). Who knew what kind of person the new principle, Mr. Carter (who was just as bad as Figgins) would hire?

They pulled into a spot and got out. As they got up to the doors Rachel stopped Puck from entering. "I will tell you what happened." She promised. "I'm just not ready. But I will tell you – all of you – what happened as soon as I am ready."

Puck stared at her for a second before nodding. "I'll see you in Glee?" Rachel nodded back and smiled. "Cool." He pulled open the door for her and then made his way to his classroom while she made her way hers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! I don't exactly think this is my best but I wanted it out before everyone goes out to party. Or whatever it is you're going to do. :-) So, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: You know what's mine and what isn't. The song belongs to Lily Allen.**

* * *

A week.

That's how long she had been in Lima. A week. A whole week! And she _still_ hadn't made plans for getting her things from her old apartment, or getting a new place of her own, or even getting back to New York. Instead she was sitting in the room where Glee Club was held waiting for the last few students and Puck to come in.

It made her ecstatic when she learned that there were 17 kids in the club! And when she mentioned it to Mr. Shuester, he told her that ever since the original club had won so many competitions, more people had started joining. Though she was less than ecstatic when Noah asked her to stay in the background. But she stayed quiet and observed Puck interacting with the kids. It was strange to say the least. He talked to the boys like he would with Finn (joking and serious at the same time), and he spoke to the girls like he was conversing with Tina (sweet and carful of his words).

"Okay everyone!" Puck entered the room, clapping his hands together, bringing flashbacks of Mr. Shuester in Rachel's mind. "I've got an idea for a new song!" He smirked at the kids and nodded his head, letting out a laugh that Rachel didn't quite like. "Let's get started."

* * *

It was horrible. Not the kids, choreography, or the song specifically. But all of it together was a mess! And Rachel was happy when Puck called out for them to stop, hand rubbing against his head. Rachel liked the wider mohawk, giving him more of a crew cut.

"I don't know what's wrong with it." Puck said tiredly. They had been working on this number for three days and it just wasn't working!

"We suck." Liam said in a way that reminded both of the original Glee Clubbers of Artie.

"No._ You_ suck." Said Peyton from her position on the other side of the room next to James, her partner.

Liam glared at his best friend while Puck stepped in. "No one sucks." He sighed. "We're just missing something."

Rachel didn't even look up from the paper she was grading to talk. "Another person."

"You say something, Berry?" Puck really hoped he was imagining things because he really didn't want her to but in. At all. This is why he had told her in no uncertain terms she was not allowed to speak. The only reason he let her in the room was because Will had asked him to 'Please, please, please let her help. Because it would really help her, and it was the only reason she had to -' Puck had cut him off there, agreeing but not really caring. He really didn't need her dramatics mixed in with his Gleeks.

Rachel glanced up from the paper to glare at him. She was already in a bad mood from her phone call from Justin during her lunch break; she didn't need Puck thinking he could push her around. "Yes, I did." She stood up and walked over to him. "You need another person. Another _girl_ to be specific. You're not symmetrical." She smiled sarcastically up at him. "Just like that ridiculous hair cut you had in high school."

"I said she had to be tough to be friends with Mr. Puck." Mason whispered to his partner Lily. The small red head nodded, eyebrows raised.

Puck glared right back at her. "How would you even know what my hair looked like with all those slushies I threw at you covering your eyes?" Rachel and most of the Glee Club gasped. Most of the kids knew how those slushies felt, since the horrible tradition had unfortunately carried on, and to hear that their favorite teacher had subjected someone to that, changed their view of him a little.

"Say what you want Noah, but I've been hurt worse than you can imagine, and nothing you say can beat that." Rachel lifted her chin proudly. "Besides, I'm your co-captain of sorts, so I get as much say in thing as you do! So _don't_ act like you're the boss of me."

"What makes _you_ qualified to be the co-captain?" Angel snapped. It was bad enough her brother had made her join the stupid club (she would never admit that she loved it), but now she had to deal with some controlling – she stopped herself.

Logan nudged her with his elbow. "Shut up!" He whispered. _He_ knew who Rachel Berry was, his parents having taken him to see one of her performances. _He_ knew she was qualified.

Rachel and Puck turned to face her, forgetting they had an audience. "Excuse me?" Rachel asked shocked. This girl didn't know who she was? Did that mean none of these kids knew who she was? She had figured they were playing it cool around her, not wanting to seem weird, but she guessed it did make more sense that they didn't know of her greatness. Maybe if they did she would have more than three classes and she would be controlling Glee Club. _Not_ Noah Puckerman!

"You heard me." Everyone's eyes were wide hearing Angel talk to a teacher like that. "Can you dance, or sing, or even play an instrument?"

Rachel blinked a few times before slowly turning to Puck again. "They don't know who I am?" She had five friends (six if she counted Katie) who still lived in this town, three of which worked at this school (until Mrs. Pillsbury got pregnant and she and Mr. Shuester had to take time off). And _no one_ had mentioned _anything_ to these kids about who she _was_? "Why don't they know who I am?"

The taller man shrugged. "It never came up?" He tried to act cute but Rachel wasn't having it. He sighed. He was _so_ going to regret this. "_But_, Rachel," That's right. He was pulling out the big guns. Not his arms 'guns' the _name_ 'gun.' "Think about it. This means you get to perform for them. Show them _just_ how qualified you are." She started to smile. Hook, line, and sinker.

The smile quickly dropped from Rachel's face. She knew she was being conned into forgiving him (and it worked, darn it!) but she was still going to make him pay. Besides she needed to get some satisfaction after her argument with her soon to be _ex_ husband. "Fine. But on one condition."

Puck groaned. Okay, so it wasn't exactly a sinker. More like a struggling survivor. "What?" He asked regretting this even more.

Her smile reappeared. "You're on back up." She flitted off to the cabinet and started pulling out papers, CD's, and a small boom box, leaving him to glared at her back and explain to the kids that they were going to have a little concert.

* * *

Puck frowned at Rachel. "What's this?" He shook the paper she had just handed him.

"Those are the lyrics to the song." She explained quickly. "Your parts are highlighted and it's written in when you're supposed to join me." She paused, taking in his confused face as he stared at the paper he held. "Don't worry. If _Finn_ can do it, so can you."

He looked up at her and smirked. "I'm so telling Finn that. And he's going to tell Quinn and she's going to kick your -"

"Enough." Rachel cut him off. "Just sing when the paper says you're supposed to."

Puck bit back his retort about talking paper and walked with her back to the kids who were now sitting down and talking quietly. "Okay everyone shut up."

Rachel twirled around and stared at him in surprise. "Noah!" He shrugged back and she rolled her eyes and went to switch on the CD she had chosen. Puck groaned quietly when he heard the familiar tune come out of the speakers. Finn had hummed and sung it under his breath for close to a month and he still did it every now and then. Now Puck knew why. Rachel had sung it with him. But why would she choose to sing this particular song now?

**I was so lost back then  
But with a little help from my friends  
I found a light in the tunnel at the end  
Now you're calling me up on the phone  
So you can have a little whine and a moan  
It's only because you're feeling alone**

Rachel loved to sing. She loved all music. Even though this song described her life now, she still loved it. Because music was always there.

**At first when I see you cry  
Yeah it makes me smile  
Yeah it makes me smile  
At worst I feel bad for a while  
But then I just smile  
I go ahead and smile**

It felt good to sing for fun. It was even better to sing with someone she had known for most of her life, instead of someone she'd only known for a few , yeah, it was even more awesome to hear Justin be the one upset. So she smiled.

* * *

**Reveiw it even if you hate it! And I hope you're all happy. I have bowed to peer pressure! I hope you get what I'm talking about. **

**I don't know when the next chapter will be up because I have a life altering (and I'm not being dramatic) test I have to study for. but I will try and do as much as I can for you! **

**Well, I hope you're all well.**

**Have fun and stay SAFE! **

**October**


	7. Chapter 7

**I know that on a scale of 1 to 10 you all probably hate me with a score of 16, but I am SOO sorry! Like I said that test was really important and I was just too nervous to write much. But I just got my results back and I passed, so I'm graduating high school a year and a half early! That's right, be impressed. Anyway, Like I said I'm sorry. **

**To FREAKTONIGHT: I'm sorry you hate Lily Allen, but thank you for the nice review.**

**In fact, thank you all for such nice reviews! But on to the story.**

**Disclaimer: You know what's mine and what's not.**

* * *

Angel refused to believe she was wrong. It was just her nature. When she was right, she gloated. When she was wrong, she insisted she was right. Of course she wasn't wrong more than once or twice.

So she completely believed that she was right when she said Miss. Rachel had no talent. Sure, she had an okay voice, but her dance moves were mediocre at best. The only reason she didn't say that when the older woman finished, was because once the others got over their shock, they gave her a standing ovation. Angel chose to sit out on that.

She watched Mr. Puck roll his eyes at Miss. Rachel when she bowed her way back to her seat, and she couldn't help but agree that the woman was dramatic.

"Okay guys," Puck turned back to the students. "You can go. Rachel and I are going to have a little talk and we'll figure out where we're going to pick up tomorrow. Stay safe, okay?" He smirked. "You're no good to us if you aren't able to perform."

"Noah!" Angel rolled her eyes at Miss. Rachel's tone and rushed out.

"Hey, Ang!" Mason called out. "Go grab Mia from the library and I'll catch up to you at the car." He ran off with James, Tyler, and Ryan. Angel hated her twin's friends. Ever since they were little, those boys had been the thorn in her side. Actually it was mostly Tyler. The other two just went along with him, and Mason just laughed and said she was over reacting.

Angel stomped to the library slamming the door shut behind her. Ignoring the dirty look the librarian sent her, and started looking for her little sister (she hated adding step to that, because in all honesty, Mia was her sister) and found her at the last table in the back of the room.

"Hey, girlie." Mia looked up and smiled at her. "You ready to go?" Mia nodded and put her books and homework into her bag. The two girls got up and left the library and started walking to the car lot to wait for Mason.

"Oh, hey, Angel!" The blond looked to her left and stopped, Mia following her lead.

"Hey, Chase." Angel smiled, flirting at full force. "Mia, go wait for me by the car. I'll be there in a minute." The younger darker haired girl nodded and continued her path to the car, walking quickly so she wouldn't have to hear her sister flirting with that jerk.

Finally reaching the lot, Mia tried to remember where exactly Mason had parked this morning. Well, Angel was busy with Chase, and Mason was probably with the boys, so she had plenty of time to search.

It took her ten minutes to find the car and she was disappointed to find that her siblings weren't there. The doors were all locked, so Mia leaned against the side and pulled out her book to keep busy while she waited.

She hummed under her breath while trying to figure out where exactly the author was going with this story, not noticing that her humming had turned into singing and not noticing that someone else had heard her.

"Yes Kurt. I'm fine." Rachel sighed. Sure, Kurt was her friend but she was extremely glad he was back home in New York. She didn't know how she had managed to live with him for that year, but she was pretty sure she could handle anything after the experience. "Look, Kurt, I've got to go. I'll speak with you later." She quickly hung up her cell phone and dropped it in her purse exchanging it for her keys.

After unlocking the car and opening the door she noticed the sounds of someone singing softly, and it was like all her recent prayers had been answered. Closing the door quietly so she wouldn't alert the person singing, Rachel crept around her car to stare at the girl reading while she leaned against her own car.

Rachel recognized the girl from around the halls but couldn't place the name with the face. After hearing a note that was particularly difficult, Rachel decided that she just _had_ to get the girl to join Glee Club.

* * *

Mason hated arguing with his twin, but for some reason that's all they seemed to do. He had finished talking with his boys and had started to leave the building but had run across Angel standing between Chase and a wall, smiling coyly. So he had done what any brother would have done: He had walked up and punched Chase in the face (Not hard enough to bruise. He wasn't stupid.).

And then for some reason Angel had _attacked_ him!

"I don't know why you're so mad at me!" Mason was honestly confused. He was only protecting her! And she hadn't even said 'Thank you' when he had held the door to the school open for her.

"You don't know?!" Why did she have to screech? "You don't _know_?!" That _is_ what he said. "You _punched_ him for _no reason_! _What _is your _problem_?!"

Mason whipped his head towards his sister, but was saved from the eventual beating he would get for his answer when the blonde gasped. He turned to face the same direction and saw Miss. Rachel talking to Mia.

"Oh, _hell _no is that woman sinking her claws into her." And before he could stop her she stormed over to their new teacher and younger sister. He rushed to get there but still only heard the tail end of the conversation between them.

Rachel turned back to Mia after explaining her thoughts to Angel. "Well, I must go, but please consider what I've said Mia." She glanced at Mason and Angel. "And don't let anyone sway your decision. Do what will make _you_ happy." She took a deep breath. "Have a nice day, and drive safe." Rachel turned and walked back to her car.

Angel hated that woman.

* * *

Peyton and Liam. They had known each other since pre-k (well everyone knew everyone in a town this small.) and they had instantly become best friends. Okay, that's a lie. They actually didn't _really_ know each other until the first day of high school. Peyton had just looked up from her map of the school when some jerk upper classman had thrown a slushy in her face.

The icy syrupy beverage stung her eyes so it was understandable that she had stumbled into the boy's bathroom instead of the girl's. And there stood Liam. He had been covered in food from an '_accidental'_ trip in the lunch room and just finished his attempt at getting the remaining stains out of his clothes.

Taking one look at the small, shivering (could be blonde, but it was hard to tell under the purple of the drink) girl, and Liam had ordered her to sit up on the counter while he wiped the slushy from her eyes and from her face, clothes and hair.

Well, it had been two years and their friendship had become the most important things in both their lives. Peyton had three older siblings who lived in homes next door and down the road with kids of their own and two younger siblings with friends always over, so it was never quiet. Liam on the other hand had no siblings and his parents were never home. It was one extreme to the other. So Peyton (needing to get away from the noise) would stay over at Liam's place (he needed to get rid of the quiet). Eventually it had got to the point where Liam had told her to pack a bag and leave it there so she wouldn't have to wear his clothes all the time.

But to say their friendship was an unconventional one was an understatement. They talked to each other in a way that others didn't understand. They weren't the type of best friends that always hugged (while Liam had no objection to it, Peyton wasn't very touchy-feely), but Liam held her hand when Peyton's Gran had passed away and then pretended not to notice her crying. And Peyton knew how hurt Liam was when his parents forgot his birthday every year, but she was always there with cake, party hats, and candles for him to blow out.

Sometimes it was even like they spoke their own language. While the sentences were understandable, they simply didn't make sense at certain events. Like when Peyton told Liam that his shirt was the wrong shade of orange for that particular day and he told her that he knew and was sorry for that. Or, like when Liam told Peyton to stop being so sarcastic in the middle of a conversation with someone else. Or sometimes they wouldn't even use words. Peyton would send a mischievous his way and Liam would reply with a roll of his eyes, or Liam would quirk an eyebrow in question and Peyton would shrug an answer.

They were sometimes (not often, but enough to annoy them) mistaken for a couple because they could never be related. Peyton tiny and dark blonde with big brown eyes, and Liam tall and built (okay so that was a lie too. But he was working on it!), with bright red hair, freckles and eyes a clear blue. In fact, he was mostly confused with being related to Lily due to similar coloring.

But anyway, the point was that they were best friends. They knew everything about each other. So it really threw things off when other people tried to join in.

Originally the _only_ reason they had joined Glee Club was to fill up some free time, and when James and Tori tried to get in on their jokes and lingo, Peyton was weary. It had been just her and Liam for two years and before that they were alone, so Liam understood her reluctance to make new friends. Which is how they got into this particular situation that day.

"I don't know!" Payton insisted. "There's just something weird about her."

Liam responded with his usual eye roll. Tori had made the mistake of inadvertently agreeing with Peyton's opinion of Miss. Rachel. It wasn't her fault. Really. Peyton and Tori just had a lot in common.

"What do you mean there's something weird about her?" Tori frowned at the shorter girl as she reached for another chip. The four of them were sitting in Liam's living room discussing the newest edition to the school. "Just the other day you said she was one of the best teachers the school has seen in a long time."

Peyton glanced at the two boys who were waiting her brilliant response. "Whatever."

She really hated when people intruded.

* * *

Serena and Katie watched as Puck moved around the kitchen pulling things out and adding them to the big pot on the stove. Katie glanced between her aunt and daddy. She knew they had gotten into a fight, she just didn't know what about. She was pretty sure one of them had said something off hand and the other had taken it the wrong way. Her mommy said it was because Puck didn't know how to deal with teenage girls he was related to.

Katie sighed. "How much longer 'til dinner?"

Puck glanced at the small blonde girl and smiled. "It's stew. You've got to let it stew." When Katie frowned, he rolled his eyes. "You've got a while. MeMaw made sure to get you strawberries so snack on a couple of those until it's ready."

Nodding, Katie slid of her stool and bounced to the fridge. After retrieving her snack, she trotted out of the kitchen and to the living room to watch TV.

Serena glanced up from the homework she had started to work on and stared at her brother as he continued around the kitchen.

Sighing in annoyance, she finally spoke. "I'm sorry."

Puck didn't look up from the pot he was now stirring. "For what?" He was her big brother; of course he was going to make her say it.

"I'm sorry that I said Miss. Rachel was the best teacher I've ever seen." Puck turned to lean back against the counter so he could stare as she apologized. "I was wrong." She rolled her eyes. "_You_ are the _best_ teacher I have ever seen."

Puck smirked. "No I'm not." Serena glared at him. "But I highly doubt _Rachel_ is better than me." He turned back to the stove and continued to mumble like a child.

Shaking her head, Serena gathered her homework in her arms and went to join Katie in the living room.

Puck glanced over his shoulder and sighed, relieved, when he saw he was alone. He hated being under observation.

And he hated that Rachel was a better teacher than him.

* * *

**This time when I say two weeks at the most, I mean it. And I'm sorry for the crap chapter this was. I'm not too confident writing my OC's. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. **

**Hope you're well,**

**October**


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